Seven Lives
by scarletcriminal
Summary: Jessie and James are miserable, as usual, but there seems to be a new reason for it. And what happens when two friends decide to fake a romance for a day at the spa? Rocketshipping


**Rocketshipping, and the title is completely unrelated. Those are my only warnings :D**

**Disclaim: I do not own Pokemon (if I did, there'd only be 151 pokemon, misty, and rocketshipping like the old days XD)**

**"Seven Lives"**

Jessie and James sat in their sopping, dripping, green tent. Both were pretty aggravated that their hair was going flat and losing its eccentricity. Meowth, lucky for him, was able to find a dry corner and had drifted off to sleep quite awhile ago.

"This bites!" Jessie hissed, hugging her knees to her chest.

"Make it double." James murmured, trying to peel soaking strands of lavender colored hair from his cheeks and neck. "And we go through all this just to catch that-,"

"Don't say it!" Jessie whimpered. She threw her head into her gloved hands and grumbled something about the twerps. James looked up and glumly said,

"We don't even have a television. American Idol is on tonight!"

"James, we don't even have enough blankets for the both of us and all you can think about is which one of those no-talent singers gets the boot?!"

"Of course not!" James exclaimed. "There's plenty of great talent season!"

Jessie tapped the back of his head gently.

"That's unusual. I was expecting more of a 'wham' than a 'pop'."

"I'm too tired to beat you up..." Jessie moaned, closing her eyes which she felt could stay open no longer. But what she said had made James smile a bit and he was glad she hadn't seen it.

"You can have the blanket if you're sleepy Jessica." James uttered sweetly.

"I'm not going to sleep...I'm just...just resting my eyes..."

"That's what you always say before you fall asleep." Jessie was clearly dozing off. Her head just wasn't cooperating and she was ready to swear at it if it didn't stay up for her. It didn't.

Jessie just didn't want to go to sleep knowing James was going to be completely awake and in a position where he could stare at her. After all, she knew there was nothing else to look at in that dreary shelter.

'Besides,' she thought, 'who _wouldn't _want to stare at _my_ perfection!'

Unfortunately for Jessie, she was soon slipping off into a deep slumber and that wasn't all she was slipping into. As her brain slowly went into hibernation, Jessie started to slip sideways, and she ended up lying across James' lap.

James wasn't sure what to think, really. But it wasn't like she hadn't done this before. What could he do? He wasn't going to yell at her or anything. After all, what would you do if your best friend hadn't slept in days and found the only way they could was by accidentally falling onto your lap? He pulled the blanket out and laid it across Jessie.

"Goodnight." He whispered, even though Jessie was past the point of hearing him. James placed his one hand behind his partners head for support and his other on the floor besides himself. He grinned and could feel himself warming up just because of how sweet Jessie looked in his arms. With that thought in his mind, James was soon fast asleep too.

* * *

The next morning, Jessie woke up and the first thing she stared at when her eyes finally opened was James, almost hunched over sleeping like an old man. Her face brightened to a red colour when she realized she really did fall asleep on James' lap. It hadn't just been a part of her delicious dream.

She unzipped the tent door and headed out into the sweet smelling air. All the rain had stopped and the sky looked especially blue and clear today. Puddles of rain water were scattered across their camp site, and Jessie knew how hard it would be to find dry wood for the fire.

Instead of facing the problem, Jessie walked over to her bag which she'd left in the basket of their hot air balloon, and pulled out her brush. Her hair was very important to her, and she claimed it her one true love. But of course, even _she_ didn't believe that rubbish. There was always room for, well, someone else.

Soon, James came drearily stumbling outside. His stomach growled, and he leaned on the basket next to Jessie.

"I'm hungry!" He whined. "I want some pancakes!"

"Can you _make_ pancakes?"

"No."

"Then good luck finding some growing on the pancake tree." Jessie snickered.

"There's a pancake tree!? Where?! Maybe we can send it to the boss and he can make us some pancakes in reward for it!" James brightened and Jessie just sighed.

"You're such a moron. Even if there _was_ a pancake tree, which there _isn't_, you could just get the pancakes from it instead of sending it to the boss. Duh."

"Oh. Right...well I'm still hungry. What are we having for breakfast?"

"Do we have any food left in the supplies?"

James ran over to the other side of the basket and searched through another backpack.

"That'd be a negative." He said.

"How much money do we have left?"

"We only have about 2,000¥."

"OK, let's go." Jessie said, tossing her lipstick tube in her purse and snapping the latch shut.

"Go where?"

"Out to have some breakfast of course, there's enough for a pretty decent meal."

"Should I wake Meowth?"

"Nah. There isn't enough to feed him too. It'll just be you and me." Jessie turned and dashed into the tent to change into something other than her uniform so she wouldn't be arrested by Officer Jenny as soon as she walked into town.

"That makes sense." Thought James. He called out to his female companion, "Could you throw me out a shirt? A normal one?"

"Here." Jessie came out in a skirt that was just as short as normal and a shirt that fit tight. The only difference really were the colours, and there wasn't a giant red 'R' on the front of her top that just screamed, "I'm a Team Rocket agent!" She handed James a t-shirt and jacket, also free of any TR trade mark.

"Thanks." He stated, pulling off his shirt.

Jessie stood and glanced at him momentarily, but whirled around to face the other way. Unfortunately for Jessie, James had caught her eyeing him and was slightly pleased.

"Alright! Let's head off then!" James cheered with delight. He rushed up next to Jessie, who had already started ahead of him.

"I'm going to get a whole box of doughnuts!" He said beaming.

"Eat any more sweets and you're going to be fatter than you already are." Jessie commented.

"I'm not fat!" James muttered, staring at his stomach. "I'm just as slim as you are."

"Then how come I can run way faster than you can?"

"You cannot!"

"Yes I can!"

"Maybe I was just tired!"

"Yeah, or maybe you're getting too pudgy to see your girly purple belt!" James paused and stood still while Jessie moved onward. A pout formed on his lips, and he felt incredibly stupid.

"Why did I think she was looking at me with interest?" He pondered. "She was probably about to laugh at me. After all, she thinks I'm a pudgy girl...,"

The rest of the way there James trailed behind his co-worker, feeling quite miserable.

Jessie, on the other hand, felt satisfied with herself. She knew she'd erased any idea James had that she had been looking at him, though she didn't mean to upset him as much as she did. The truth was that she wanted all her emotions towards James covered up. No matter how true those feelings were.

* * *

"What'll it be?" A gum-smacking waitress clicked her pen and readied it above a notepad.

"I'll have the sampler. Eggs scrambled, bacon, white toast, orange juice with no pulp, and two pancakes." Jessie thought about adding, "And try to keep your mint flavored grossness out of it," but she didn't really want to interrupt James while he ordered.

"Black coffee." He mumbled with his head resting on the table. Jessie looked at him shocked.

"That all?" The waitress asked. James didn't even bother to waste his breath. He just nodded.

As the waitress went back to the kitchen, Jessie channeled her attention to James.

"What happened to 'a whole box of doughnuts'?" She asked.

"I wouldn't want to get exceedingly rotund, or however you so rudely put it." James answered coldly. He stood up, mumbled something about a bathroom, and walked off. Jessie stared down at her red fingernails, picking imaginary dirt from the undersides of them.

"Way to go, Jess. You just upset him _and_ turned him into a self-starving enthusiast.

Sipping his coffee, James averted his eyes from ever having contact with Jessie's. Every time Jessie tried talking to him about something, he'd just mumble or give her the cold shoulder. The way he was acting made her all the more uncomfortable then she had already been just being there alone with him, and at one point Jessie actually wished she had invited Meowth along. At least then she'd have someone to talk to.

After awhile Jessie was fed up with the fact it was her fault in the first place and decided that maybe, just once, she could let her best friend in on how she felt, even though it was going to show how incredibly weak she could be deep inside her heart.

"James..." She sighed. "I'm sorry. I just...I didn't think you'd be _that_ upset. Maybe I just said that stuff because..." By this point, James was all ears. Except this time it was Jessie who was avoiding the eye contact. For a complete moment, James expected Jessie to say something like, 'because I really like you" and that thought not only scared him but also intrigued him to the point where he truly wanted her to say that. Of course, this contradictory attitude was too much for him and he decided that whatever she was about to say, he was going to listen and deal with it. "...because...I feel kind of jealous."

"What was that?"

"I feel jealous."

"One more time!" James smiled.

_Whack!_

"Ow...OK, I deserved that last one. Sorry."

"So are we all good?"

"Knowing you, Jessie, confessing that must've been like deciding to jump off a building or drown yourself." They both lightly chuckled. "Of course we're 'good'." Without even thinking what he was doing, James got up and gave Jessie a warm hug.

"Er...James...people are staring at us..." Jessie whispered.

"Uh, sorry." James sat back down, clearing his throat. "...Are you perhaps going to eat that bread?"

Jessie grinned, and handed him a slice.

"How about those doughnuts now?" And it was James' turn to smile again as well.

* * *

Licking frosting from his fingers, James walked with Jessie down the road in the middle of town. They passed a rather large sauna with a steaming roof and bright inviting signs saying to come in.

"Jessica! Look at this!" James said, pointing out a sign hanging by the front entrance.

"It's Pokemon free day tomorrow! Any pair of trainers with a Pokemon each can get a discount off one free stay of three nights. Including nine all you can eat meals, two massages, and complete access to the hot springs!"

"It's probably a sham. Some kind of gimmick. How much is it with the discount?"

"Only 15,000¥!"

"Yeah. 'Cause we have that kind of money!"

"We can put it in the boss' tab and tell headquarters we spent it on another failing robot. It'll be fine!"

"Alright. We'll come back tomorrow. It might actually be good for us to have a relaxing day off."

"That's the spirit!"

The next day, the three counterparts strode through the same town and to the springs they Jessie and James had seen yesterday. Jessie's sandals flip-flopped against the shiny tiled flooring as the group passed through the glass door entrance.

"We're here for the discount package." Jessie said. A cheerful young lady with pink ponytails sat behind the desk and looked up when Jessie placed Meowth on the table.

"Oh! He's delightful!" The woman behind the desk pulled at Meowth's checks, and he readied a claw to fury swipe.

"Swipe her and I swipe you harder!" Jessie hissed to him. The cat withdrew his paw and allowed himself to be pinched, though he wasn't happy about it at all.

"I'll need proof." The lady said at last.

"Proof? Of what exactly?" James asked.

"You know, proof." Meowth hopped down between his friends as the lady behind the desk explained. "Like your certificate, or your rings."

"For what?" Jessie questioned. "On the sign it just said any pair of trainers and their Pokemon. It didn't say we needed any proof!"

"Yes it did." The lady flung out a copy of the poster across the desk. "'Any pair of trainers and their Pokemon.' Then, at the bottom, it says, 'Pair must bring proof of marriage.' It's right there."

"Marriage!?" Jessie and James exclaimed together.

"Uh-huh. You_ are_ married right?"

"You idiot! Why didn't you see that!?" Jessie sputtered, facing James.

"Is there are problem, ma'am?" The lady leaned forward to inspect Jessie.

"Uh...of course not!" Jessie sweatdropped.

"Then maybe you can answer me. Are you married or not?"

"Well, you see..."

"Absolutely!" Meowth cried. He pulled both of their human hands onto the counter.

"Ah! He talked!" The lady smiled. "And it looks like you two _are_ a couple!"

"Wha-?" The two stared down at their fingers. On two fingers, on being Jessie's and one belonging to James, were silver rings.

"Er, that's right!" Happily married!" Jessie threw her right arm around her imaginary husband's shoulder.

"Huh?" James was part "shoot me now" and part "pinch me; I'm dreaming".

"Isn't that right, honey?" Jessie said between her teeth as she pulled a fake smile that no one in their right mind could think was real. Obviously, the sauna secretary was convinced by it.

"R-right. A jolly couple." James looked as if he might faint. He was still under the slight impression that this was all real, since he clearly saw a ring on his finger that he'd never seen before, and he was on the line of liking it and utterly despising it.

"Well, have a great time in the baths!" The woman behind the desk declared. She handed Meowth the three passes and a map and waved as they all walked down the hallway to the right.

"Where in the world did you get two rings in four seconds?" Jessie asked Meowth once they were all safely around the corner. At that time, Jessie also removed her arm from around her friend's shoulder.

"I had dem in Jimmy's pocket. In case we evah decided ta do a fake-ring sham."

"They're fake?"

"Ah course! Tin foil works poifectly to make fake rings!"

"That was actually useful. Can you believe that James? James? Hellooo? Are you alright? You don't look too good."

James was staring dizzily ahead of himself.

"We aren't really married, are we Jessie?" James said with huge puppy-dog looking eyes.

"No." Jessie said, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh thank God!" James fell to his knees. "I was so afraid we really were! Hahaha! Can you imagine _us_ being a _couple_? I'd absolutely die!"

Jessie stared back in disbelief.

"Well I didn't know it was such a terrible thing." She spat, turning on her heels and taking off towards her room.

"What's _her_ problem?" James asked, getting back to his feet.

"Yous pretty much just said you'd never ever want ta marry her."

"And? It's not like we like each other. We're just friends."

"Yeah, but bein' told by your best friend, da person you take criticism from da most, dat dey wouldn't wanna marry you...dat's hard."

"I still don't think she should be so upset. It's not the first time I've said something like that." James argued.

"Exactly! You've mentioned it twice! That's gotta upset her even more!"

"Just because I said I wouldn't want to tie my life to hers for the rest of my life?"

"It's more dan dat Jimmy! Your opinion is the only one that really matters ta her! And you just gave her the rudest ugly comment dere is!"

James stared down at his feet as they continued heading to their suite, not really sure what to say.

"Maybe it was pretty bad...but what was I supposed to say? I don't want Jessie to know I like her!"

Meowth stopped.

"Wait-I meant...wait!"

"You like Jessie!? Ha!"

"No! Stop! Don't say that!"

"Yous just did!"

"I-I-I-,"

"You like Jessie! You like Jessie!"

"Shut your mouth!" He hit Meowth on the forehead.

"Ow!" Meowth flung his claw twice across James' face.

"Stop it!" James hollered, slapping the Pokemon.

"Admit! Admit what you said!" Meowth screamed, squeezing his short arms around James' neck.

"Gah! Get off!"

"Say it!"

"OK! OK! That's what I said! I confess! I meant it!"

Meowth let go and jumped to the floor again.

"I knew it!"

"Yeah, yeah..." James sighed. "But you better not tell anyone. I've gone this long with no one knowing and I don't intend to stop hiding it yet."

"How long have you been in looove?" Meowth asked tauntingly.

"I don't know. Since I first met her."

"No way!"

"Why else would I have stayed with her all this time?"

"I figured you just got insulted even worse by everyone else, and decided on Jessie."

"So you thought I _settled_? I can be dumb but I'm not a complete idiot. I wouldn't just want a best friend so I could say so. I want a best friend who is always there for me. A best friend who I can depend on to still talk to me even if I say stupid things."

"So I guess you're still searching right?"

"What?"

"Ha ha. Just kidding."

"I guess I should apologize. But how do I do that?"

"Ask her ta marry ya?" Meowth snickered.

"Stop fooling! I'm being serious."

"She's probably ovah it already. Just say you're sorry."

"You're right." The two unlocked the door with James' pass and walked into the room.

"Jessie, are you alright?"

Jessie was sitting on the single bed in the bedroom. She quickly wiped at her eyes. Meowth stood behind the door as James took a seat next to her.

"I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings any."

"It's fine."

"I guess it's my turn to explain why I said something harsh." Meowth's eyes grew wide.

"Go ahead." Jessie said. "I'm listening."

"I guess I felt like, well, I'm not sure. It's like, I didn't mean what I said, I just can't explain why I said it. I mean, I wouldn't even probably mind doing what I said I wouldn't do, but I said I wouldn't want to do it because I was trying to hide the fact I would want to do what I said I didn't even though I might actually be slightly kind of OK with doing it." James sucked in a huge amount of air after he was done rambling. Jessie stared at him still. "What I think I'm trying to say is...is that I said it because...I was hiding that I wouldn't mind being a couple with you...because I might just think I like you."

Jessie stared at him even longer this time, her face expressionless.

"So, I'm just gonna go-," Jessie grabbed his arm.

"I like you too." Now Meowth and James' eyes went wide open.

"R-really?"

"Yeah..." The three sat in silence for a moment.

"Gah! Why don't you two just kiss and get it ovah wit'?" Meowth groaned.

"Uhm...maybe we should. To end it."

"And then go back to how it was before?"

"Right. It never happened."

"Good."

And at that instant, Jessie and James' lips met. It was a few seconds later when they separated.

"It never happened?"

"Not yet it didn't."

"Does that mean in the future..."

James hugged Jessie and whispered in her ear,

"Maybe when the cat is down to seven lives." He pulled back. "C'mon. Let's hit the hot spring!" At the thought of being wet and happy instead of soaked and miserable, Jessie called out,

"Make it double!"

**~The End~**

* * *

**Wait, does James really not have a British accent? I thought he did...anyway, that's how I wrote it xD**

**I wrote this when I was eleven...(I say that as if it weren't a year ago .)...but I think it's adequate. Translation worked out too. :)**

**Please take a second to R&R! 3**


End file.
